Senator Tarr Receives Clean Energy Champion Award

     BOSTON - Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) was given the Clean Energy Champion Award this week during a Clean Energy Day event sponsored by the New England Clean Energy Council (NECEC). The State House ceremony featured Matthew Beaton, Secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, NECEC President Peter Rothstein, clean energy business leaders, and environmental protection organizations.

     Addressing the State House audience of environment and energy stakeholders Tarr said, "I am honored to receive this award, and to be part of a partnership between government and innovative entrepreneurs who are bringing ideas to the market and creating jobs in a sector that is growing and holds great promise for the future."

     "Senator Tarr has earned strong marks in environmental policy and renewable energy development, he has also proposed innovative jobs bills that emphasize energy efficiency in the creation of more clean energy jobs," said NECEC President Peter Rothstein.

      The NECEC, a non-profit clean energy business, policy and innovation organization, selected Senator Tarr for his sustained efforts in creating a climate that encourages innovators and entrepreneurs to develop cost-effective responses to our state's complex energy needs.

      "Our state government must create a climate that fosters innovation and supports the creation of cost-effective alternative energy to create jobs, give us independence from foreign energy, and strengthen the environment," said Tarr. "We can do that through common sense laws and regulations that move us forward in a sensible way to lead the nation and build an energy future not even thought to be possible just a few years ago."

      Secretary Beaton remarked that the Baker-Polito Administration is supporting consumers and rate-payers by advancing greater energy efficiencies and by promoting local energy projects. Governor Baker has called for 1,600 megawatts of solar installations by 2020. Massachusetts has installed 841 megawatts of solar which can produce enough energy to power 128,000 homes.

      "The partnership between state government and innovators in areas such as wind, solar and hydroelectric generation is producing the results that we need to integrate new energy sources into our communities and free us from the major problems that come when our energy supply relies too heavily on one source, and that source becomes scarce or costly," said Tarr. "All we have to do is look at recently increased electric bills to see that we can, and we must, do better."

     According to the NECEC, the Massachusetts solar industry employs more than 12,000 workers and the clean energy sector generates $10 billion of our state's economy.

     Senator Bruce Tarr is the Minority Leader of the Massachusetts State Senate. He represents the First Essex and Middlesex District consisting of the city of Gloucester and the towns of Boxford, Essex, Georgetown, Groveland, Hamilton, Ipswich, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Middleton, Newbury, North Andover, North Reading, Rockport, Rowley, Wenham, West Newbury and Wilmington.